Irish Spice Cake Recipe

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My comforting Irish Spice Cake Recipe is a moist, warmly spiced treat that will become a treasured family recipe. Enjoy it with a cup of tea today—it’s ready in under an hour! 

• No-fuss, easy bake: You mix up this one-layer cake by hand—no electric mixer or other special equipment needed. It’s perfect as-is, or add a dusting of confectioner’s sugar if you’d like!
• Classic, craveable flavor: Applesauce, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves create a homey, aromatic cake.
• Budget-friendly: This easy Irish dessert uses simple, inexpensive ingredients.
• Lasts for days: This beautifully tender cake keeps at room temperature for three days.
• Perfect for every occasion! Serve this crowd-favorite dessert at holidays or parties, pack a slice in a lunchbox, enjoy as a snack, or even have a slice for breakfast!

In Ireland, a cup of tea and a slice of simple cake is a beloved part of everyday life, and my Irish Spice Cake goes down a treat at tea time. This is the kind of easy, single-layer cake that is perfect to keep on the counter, slice, and enjoy throughout the week. It’s gorgeously soft and tender, flavorful, and not too sweet. And if you want to dress it up, it becomes a fancy dessert when you add cream cheese frosting, serve it with ice cream or whipped cream, or drizzle with a dessert sauce.

As a professional baker (and someone who has been making cakes like this since childhood!), my best tip for this recipe is to bake it a day before to enhance the flavor and ensure a moister cake. For more tea-time treats, you’ll love my Hummingbird Coffee Cake, Coconut and Jam Cake, Best Pumpkin Bread, and Apple Oatmeal Cake.

Bold Bakers Loved This!

“This is amazing, brings back so many memories!” — Bridget

“This was delish. I made them into 16 cupcakes and frosted them with cream cheese frosting. The apple makes it really moist!  Several days later they are still moist and tender. They are still yummy, and I am building my resistance to temptation muscle to only have one a day.” — Honey Bee

“This cake is delicious. So soft, light, and when it is in the oven baking, it smells like the holidays are already here! Thanks for a great recipe. It was gone within the first day I made it and the second one is in the oven right now.” — Emily

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 9/15/2026, to include a refreshed introduction, updated ingredients description, clearer step-by-step instructions, make-ahead and storage instructions, answers to the most frequently-asked questions, and enhanced Pro Chef Tips.

Table of Contents

• What is Traditional Irish Spice Cake?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Traditional Irish Spice Cake
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• What to Serve With 
• Variations & Mix-Ins
• FAQs
• More Cozy Cake Recipes

What is Traditional Irish Spice Cake?

My Irish Spice Cake Recipe makes a simple, single-layer tea cake flavored with apples and warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Spices have been part of Irish cooking and Irish sweets since at least the Middle Ages, when ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves were imported through international trade and were prized as luxury ingredients. These warm spices are still favorites in both a festive Irish dessert and an everyday tea-time treat, and this spice cake carries those traditions of celebration and hospitality.

Tools You Need

• 8-inch square baking pan and parchment paper
• Mixing bowls
• Measuring jug
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons
• Whisk
• Wire cooling rack
• Sieve

Key Ingredients and Substitutes

Buttermilk

• The acidity in buttermilk works with the baking soda to give the cake a light, fluffy rise.
• Because buttermilk is acidic, it tenderizes the gluten in the batter, giving this cake a delicate crumb.
• Additionally, the buttermilk contributes a subtle tang.
• Learn how to make your own buttermilk substitute, and you won’t have to worry about running out! And if you want a vegan buttermilk alternative, you can make the substitute with plant milk.

Unsweetened applesauce

• Applesauce adds moisture, tenderness, and a subtle apple flavor.
• Using applesauce replaces some of the fat and helps keep the cake soft for days.
• Either store-bought applesauce or homemade applesauce works well here.

Vegetable oil

• Vegetable oil contributes needed fat and gives the cake a moist, delectable texture.
• Because vegetable oil is liquid at room temperature, it creates a longer-lasting soft texture than a cake made with butter.
• Additionally, vegetable oil’s neutral taste lets the applesauce and spice flavor shine.
• Substitute: You can use an equal amount of canola oil or another neutral-flavored oil.

Eggs

• Eggs bind the ingredients and contribute to the Irish ginger cake’s structure.
• Additionally, eggs add moisture and richness.
• Use room-temperature eggs to create a smooth, cohesive cake batter. Here are my foolproof ways to get your eggs to room temperature quickly.
• Substitute: You can replace the two eggs in this recipe with 1/2 cup (4 oz/115 g) of applesauce. Note that using applesauce may affect the cake’s texture.

Granulated sugar

• Sugar sweetens this Irish cake.
• Sugar binds easily with water, locking in moisture and inhibiting gluten formation to keep the cake soft.

Dark brown sugar

• Dark brown sugar doesn’t just sweeten the cake; it also adds moisture, and caramel and molasses notes that deepen the flavor.
• You only need white sugar and molasses to make your own brown sugar with my simple recipe!
• Substitute: Use the same amount of light brown sugar for a milder flavor.

All-purpose flour

• All-purpose flour with a protein content of 9-11% creates the perfect amount of gluten to support the cake’s structure while still producing a light, fluffy crumb.
• Substitute: to make this Irish spiced cake gluten free, use the same amount of a 1:1 gluten-free baking mix, like my Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix, instead of the AP flour.

Baking soda

• Baking soda reacts with acidic buttermilk to produce carbon dioxide, which helps the cake rise.
• Importantly, baking soda contributes to a tender crumb.

Baking powder

• Baking powder provides additional lift. Most baking soda is double-acting, meaning it reacts when it comes in contact with the wet ingredients, and again when exposed to the heat of the oven.

Spices

• The blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves gives the cake an aromatic, deliciously complex flavor.
• Cinnamon adds warmth and comfort, ginger adds zip and spice, nutmeg contributes notes of nuttiness and earthiness, and cloves adds a aromatic, slightly sweet note.

Powdered sugar

• A pretty dusting of powdered sugar adds sweetness and visual interest to the cake.
• No worries if you don’t have powdered sugar on hand. With How to Make Powdered Sugar, you can make a batch and keep it handy in the cupboard.

How to Make Traditional Irish Spice Cake

1. Prepare to bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and line an 8-inch (20-cm) square pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Mix Wet Ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, applesauce, oil, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.

3. Whisk dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

4. Combine mixtures. Add the flour mixture into the wet and mix until smooth. Pour the batter into your prepared pan.

5. Bake cake. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Serve spice cake. Enjoy with a dusting of powdered sugar.

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW! 

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Use room-temperature ingredients. When making this spice cake, ensure all ingredients are at room temperature before you begin.
• Mix until just combined. Overmixing could make the cake tougher.
• Don’t overbake. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
• Make an extra-soft top. Here’s a great chef’s tip—cover the cake with foil as soon as it comes out of the oven. As the cake cools, the foil traps moisture, giving the top a lovely soft, almost sticky texture.
• Cool completely before slicing. This will ensure neat slices.
• Dress it up: This spice cake doesn’t need much more than a cup of tea, but you can make it fancy by icing it with a half-recipe of my Cream Cheese Frosting or a drizzle of Apple Cider Caramel Sauce or Spiced Rum Caramel Sauce.
• Double the Recipe: Feeding a crowd? This recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9×13-inch (23×33-cm) pan. Increase the baking time to 45–50 minutes.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make-ahead tips

• For the best flavor and texture, make the cake a day in advance. This allows the spices to fully develop and the cake to become even moister.

How to store leftovers

• Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. No need to store in the refrigerator.
• Freeze for longer storage. Let the cake cool completely, wrap it well, place it in an airtight container or large freezer bag, and freeze for up to four weeks.
  • Before serving, thaw the frozen cake in the fridge overnight.

FAQs

What can I serve with this traditional Irish cake?

• A cup of tea: Classic and comforting—perfect for afternoon tea or a cozy treat.
• Coffee or latte: A warm coffee or spiced latte complements the apple and spice flavors beautifully.
• Whipped cream or custard: Adds a creamy richness that pairs perfectly with the moist, spiced crumb.
• Vanilla ice cream: A scoop of ice cream turns this simple cake into a delightful dessert.
• Warmth of whiskey: Drizzle with my Caramel Whiskey Sauce for a grown-up flavor.

What are some flavor variations & mix-ins I can use in Irish Spice Cake?

• Fresh fruit: Add flavor, texture, and moisture by folding in 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz/70 g) of finely diced apples or pears. Pat the diced fruit dry before adding.
• Dried fruit:  For natural sweetness and chewy texture, add 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz/70 g) of raisins, sultanas, currants, or chopped dates.
• Nuts: To add crunch and depth of flavor, fold in 1/2 cup (2 oz/57 g) of toasted, chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
• Citrus: Add 1 tablespoon of finely grated lemon or orange zest for bright flavor and fresh aroma.
• Spice: If you prefer a bolder spice flavor, increase the cinnamon to 1 1/2 teaspoons, the ginger to 3/4 teaspoon, and add 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice.

Can I make this cake gluten-free?

• Yes, you can make this cake gluten-free.
  • Use an equal amount of a 1:1 gluten-free baking mix, like my Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix, in place of the all-purpose flour.

Is it possible to make this cake egg-free?

• Yes, you can make this spice cake egg-free.
• You can replace the two eggs in this recipe with 1/2 cup (4 oz/115 g) of applesauce. Note that using applesauce may affect the cake’s texture.
  • For other options, please see my guide to the 12 Best Egg Substitutes for Baking and How to Use Them.

Can I make this cake vegan?

• Yes, you can make this cake vegan.
• You can replace the two eggs in this recipe with 1/2 cup (4 oz/115 g) of applesauce. Note that using applesauce may make the cake denser.
• Use my buttermilk substitute instead of regular buttermilk. You can use coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk, or any other non-dairy milk of your choice.

More Recipes for Irish Desserts

• Irish Bread and Butter Pudding
• My Mum’s Irish Apple Cake
• O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey Cake
• Irish Gingerbread Trifle
• Apple Amber Pie

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 9/15/2026, to include a refreshed introduction, updated ingredients description, clearer step-by-step instructions, make-ahead and storage instructions, answers to the most frequently-asked questions, and enhanced Pro Chef Tips.

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